10.4. QuickMapServices

Note

Qt6 compatible

With this plugin you can quickly add a basemap to you QGIS project. Raster basemap is often the first layer to be added to a project. You can add OpenStreetMap layer, UTM zones borders etc.

Basemap can be in the form of a Web service: TMS, WMS, WMTS, ESRI ArcGIS Service, or symply XYZ tiles.

You can search for any service added to QMS database by using the search bar Pic. 10.8.. Also most used basemaps are gathered in he QuickMapServices dropdown menu.

Full catalog of QuickMapServices is available on https://qms.nextgis.com/. You can add your own basemaps to the catalog.

10.4.1. How to add basemaps and other services to QGIS

After the QuickMapServices plugin is installed its buttons appear in the Web Toolbar (you can move the buttons to another panel in the Settings). Also QuickMapServices submenu is added to the Web menu.

Activate the button_QMS_search QMS search panel. Enter the name of the service you want to find or some key words into the search bar (try “Openstreetmap”, “Mapnik” or “UTM”), then double-click the service to add it to the map or click Add.

Click Filter by extent to only display the layers that contain the area visible on the map in QGIS. Not all the layers in QMS database have specified extent, but you can add it yourself.

Basemap is added to project as a raster layer (see Pic. 10.9.)

../../_images/qms_added_example_en.png

Pic. 10.9. Mapnik basemap and the grid of UTM zones added from QMS Search

See how the plugin works in our video:

Watch on youtube.

10.4.2. Settings

To open the plugin settings, go to Web ‣ QuickMapServices ‣ Settings.

../../_images/qsm_settings_open_en.png

Pic. 10.10. QMS settings

10.4.2.1. General settings

Open the settings menu from the plugin menu. On this tab you can configure the following parameters:

  1. Automatically reproject to EPSG: 3857 Pseudo Mercator;

  2. Show info/error messages in the message bar. By default they are displayed in a pop-up window.

../../_images/qms_settings_general_en.png

Pic. 10.11. General settings

10.4.2.2. Tiles settings

  1. Maximal connection count for tile download.

  2. Cache expiration - how long the downloaded tiles are stored, in hours.

  3. Tiles download timeout, milliseconds.

../../_images/qms_settings_tiles_en.png

Pic. 10.12. Tiles settings

10.4.2.3. Add/Edit/Remove

On this tab you can create and manage a local collection of services.

Note

If you plan to make a derivative work based on a basemap added from the Internet, please read the terms of use for that basemap so as not to violate copyright laws. If you use OSM Mapnik, all you need to do is add «© OpenStreetMap contributors (osm.org)». Other basemaps and satellite images may have more restrictions.